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At the Grand Canyon, where they spent most of July 4

The Sassers in front of groves of redwoods that were donated by recognized families.

Angie Sasser at the pier at Howe Park with Battery Point lighthouse in the distance.

in front of Crater Lake, which was formed after Mt. Mazema, erupted 7700 years ago. It is USA’s deepest lake.

At Pike Place in Seattle

The view from the RV window

In Wyoming

Here's how the Sassers travelled.

Without any prior reservations or concrete plans, Wayne and Angie Sasser loaded their RV and traveled across 14 states to see 12 national parks and several city and state parks.

“We stayed in a Wal-Mart parking lot twice because of no available campgrounds,” Mrs. Sasser said. “We left at noon on June 14 and got back at 4 p.m., on July 8, so I could be back at work at 7 a.m., July 9.”

The Sassers averaged 325 miles a day, and she said that the one real expense they had to pay was for gas.

“Gas was by far the only real expense of the trip, because we are lifetime senior national park pass holders,” Sasser said. “In northern California we paid $5.14 per gallon of gas and in Louisiana, $2.32.”

The 12 national parks they visited were Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Grand Tetons, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Petrified Forrest, Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon and Crater Lake.

“How do I choose my favorite with the beauty of Crater Lake, the confusion of Pike Place Market, Seattle, the awe of the Grand Canyon, God’s master piece of Yellowstone, or the biological wonder of Mt. St. Helen’s recovery,” Mrs. Sasser said. “How do I choose?”

Their travel ensemble was a Fleetwood Tioga RV, towing a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. The couple traveled 6,500 miles and even went into British Columbia.

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